Crane Carrier Company of Tulsa, Okla. holds two patents relating to refuse loaders for garbage trucks that utilize vehicle mounted guide rails. U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,951 which issued in September of 1995 discloses a refuse loader mounted to a front of a vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,863 which issued in September of 1991 discloses a refuse loader mounted to a side of a vehicle. Each of the Crane Carrier Company refuse loaders have actuator arms that are moved by hydraulic cylinders. The actuator arms have rollers that engage the guide rails, so that the path of the actuator arms is determined by the configuration of the guide rails.
Unfortunately, when the actuator arms and hydraulic cylinders require servicing the entire garbage truck must temporarily be taken out of service.